Early days

As a child I played in the fine red earth, with the wind whistling through the Bulokes and Mallee Scrub.

We lived on Barkindji Country, where the Murray and the Darling rivers meet. As with most families of the area, and time, we grew grapes. I learned to drive a tractor at a young age, and watched my father build farm machinery from nothing more than piles of scrap steel and an idea in his head. The love of making and land has been very much a part of my story.

Further Study and Falling over Timber

I studied Visual Arts at Monash University majoring in Sculpture. After finishing my degree I set up a home studio and got to work. Most of my artworks were made from metal, and found objects, and I wanted to explore working in wood. I gained part-time work with a French Polisher, and my journey with timber began.

By chance I ran into an old friend, and he secured me an interview for part-time work at Nicholas Dattner & Co. Nicholas was a trailblazer, an evangelist of bespoke furniture design, made purely from Australian hardwoods. I was signed on as an apprentice Furniture Polisher after two weeks and worked in the Furnishing Industry for just shy of 10 years. Here my love of timber and furniture design quickly became my life.

Teaching: The Final Puzzle Piece

In my early 30s I relented to my Mothers long standing suggestion to complete a Diploma of Education, which I did at Melbourne University. At the end of the year I secured a job at a public school in the Eastern Suburbs and began teaching Design Technology - Wood. That was over 20 years ago now, and my deep love of teaching and timber fills my days.

Now I am The Timber Union.

Now the opportunity to teach those that have an interest, like I did, has come into view. I invite you to come and join me in learning skills that you can use and build upon.